Liquor recreational settings get public hearing

By Lisa Brody

A motion was made and approved 7-0 by the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees for a public hearing to be held on Monday, October 14, regarding a zoning ordnance amendment that would allow for indoor recreational restaurants to obtain a liquor license. 

This change was prompted by the upcoming opening of Tee Times, a new space that will be home to 13 golf simulators and other state-of-the-art golf technology, and a full-scale restaurant. These changes to the zoning ordinance would be the first of their kind for the township.

“I love the language we put in to it [the zoning ordinance amendment]. It is not just about making sure that we get this great investment in our community, it’s about making sure that we have good ordinances for the next business that wants to come in so that this isn’t just tailor-fit to one business owner, this is about tailor-fitting us to moving forward and being more attractive to other businesses. So I appreciate you taking the time so that we’ve done that,” said trustee Chris Kolinski. “It’s not just for one business, even though we’re making sure we put the ball in motion for them, it is about attracting other business owners to invest in our community, which is what – based on the strategic plan – our residents are asking for us to do this.”

Tee Times is planning to occupy the former home to Rebel Boxing and all adjacent vacant tenant spaces that are within the Maple Telegraph Shopping Center on Telegraph Road at Maple Road. The site plan has already been reviewed at by the township departments of assessor, building, fire, engineering and environmental services, ordinance, public works and police, with no issues found.

The current ordinance isn’t specific enough for this type of business, so it isn’t permitted. Class C and tavern licenses are only permitted as special land uses in the B-2 Community Business District and the B-3 General Business District as part of a full service restaurant or a cinema use. Cinemas with a Class C or tavern license may be permitted as part of a mixed-use development with a development agreement – which was intended for the theater proposal for the Bloomfield Park project – and as an integral use within a planned shopping center, such as the former Maple Theater’s location within the Bloomfield Plaza Shopping Center. 

The proposed amendment changes to the zoning ordinance are very similar in language to the one that allows alcohol in cinemas, and would incorporate the Class C standards for restaurants and cinema uses to also include indoor recreational uses. 

Standards in the amendments that would allow for indoor recreational restaurants to sell beer, wine and liquor include that off-street parking shall be a part of the shared parking study for the planned shopping center and approved by the township; an application fee to the township would need to be paid; it would be unlawful for any person, company, corporation or other legal entity to seek a Class C or tavern license, or transfer a Class C or tavern license unless a permit was obtained from the township; and the license shall be for the sale of beer, wine and/or spirits that will be consumed on the premise. The sale of beer, wine, and spirits cannot exceed more than 50 percent of the total gross sales of the business.

Currently, the township has issued 25 on-premises Class C and/or tavern licenses, leaving them with five available to issue within the township, according to the Michigan Liquor Control Commission.


This zoning ordnance amendment was first brought to the planning commission in August, where they unanimously passed on a favorable recommendation to the board of trustees.


“We have a great person coming into the township… he works well with the community, I'm very supportive of this,” said trustee Neal Barnett, who also serves on the planning commission.


Brandon Shaya, co-owner of Tee Times, has emphasized that the food they will serve at Tee Times – and do serve at their other location in Rochester Hills – is not quick bowling alley food, but will be handcrafted by a chef and their team.


At their Rochester Hills location, the menu ranges from wings and salads to wraps and sliders. There are also about a dozen different appetizers.


Shaya spoke passionately about this project not only at the planning commission’s meeting on Monday, August 5, but also at the planning commission's public hearing. He said that when they were thinking of another location for Tee Times, Bloomfield Township was the perfect spot, no questions asked. 


He hopes that this is something the township will become proud of. 


Shaya has also already committed to serve as the training camp for the golf teams of Bloomfield Hills High School and Brother Rice High School at zero cost to them, continuing Tee Times work within the community, something they do in Rochester Hills.